Inclosed supply system for electric railways



(N0 Modem I 2 S hetsShe t' J. O. FYPE.

INOLOSED SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 472,447. Patented Apr. 5, 189.2

(No Model.) 2'SheetsSheet 2.

. 4 J. C. FYFE. INGLOSED SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELBOTRIG RAILWAYS.

Patented Apr. 5

NITED STATES PATENT Fr es,

JOHN C. FYFE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

INCLOSED SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIORAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,447, dated April 5, 1892.

Application filed December 26, 1890- Selial No. 375,917. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. FYF'E, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Appliances for Electric Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to electric railways; and the object thereof is to provide improved appliances by which current may be supplied to anydesired number of motors placed upon cars moving upon a suitable track by means of a series of distributing-points arranged at suitable distances apart along the line of the main conductor, and suitable connections, whereby current may be taken from the main conductor at the several distributingpoints through normally-open local circuits or branches from the main conductor, which circuits are automatically'closed by the mechanical action of the moving car and opened immediately after the car has passed the 10- cal circuit.

The invention is specially designed for use in connection with the multiple-arc system of electric railroading; but the same method of electric distribution is adapted to be applied to other uses.

The principle object of my invention is to provideim proved means forsupplyingcurrent to the motors on the moving cars without exposing the conductors or contacts.

Another object is to provide improved means for automatically making the connection between the main conductor and the conductor which conveys current to the car-motors in such a manner as to make complete contact without burning, blistering, corroding, or wearing out the contact.

A further object is to insulate and protect the contact-bar or plow from rain, water, 850., which drips down through the conduit and falls upon the contact-bar in the underground conduit, and, linally, to provide improved means'for connecting and disconnecting the feeder-wire and contacts with the main conductor.

\Vith these several objects in view my invention consists in the means and appliances substantially as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this description, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional View of the junctionchamber, showing the connection between the end portions of the adjacentsections of the main wire or conductor and the feed-wire, with the end portions of the wires dipped in mercury. Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken through the contact-chamber and 'illustrating the connections therefrom to the main conductor and plow or skate suspended from the car within the slotted underground conduit; and Fig. 3 is a side view of the skate and insulating bar and cover suspended from the car, the supporting-plates thereof being broken off.

The main conductor F may be located n11- derground at one side of or between two or more tracks outside of the rail. The conductor is formed in sections of suitable lengths, which may have their meeting ends bent downward, as indicated in Fig. 1, and dipped or immersed in mercury. Instead of uniting these ends by the ordinary unionjoint, I use the junction-box B, (shown in said figure,) which consists, preferably, of a round or other suitably-shaped box, preferably of cast-iron, of the desired size to admit the ends of the joints-of pipe according to the demands or size of the system. This box is lined with heavy asbestus insulation E E, and is made air and water tight by screwing on the cap A with suitable packing. Sections of pipe H H, corresponding in length to the sections of conductor F F, have their ends screwed into the box B, and may be made water-tight by leading with red lead, thus hermetically sealing the junction-box. The wires F F are provided with suitable insulatin g material G, which, together with said wires, is contained within the pipes H H. The ends of the wires F F within the junctionchamber extend downward into a suitable receptacle or crucible O, which contains mercury, into which said wires are dipped orimwire I, which is also provided with suitable insulation J J, surrounding the same within the pipe. The end of the wire I is also bent downward into the mercury D in said crucible, and is preferablyarranged with its end between the bent ends of the wires F F, as shown. The other end of the feeder-wire I extends outwardly the desired distance from the junction-box B, and its containing tube or pipe is screwed into the contact-chamber P, as shown in Fig. 2, the end of the wire passing into the box or chamber and being bent downwardly into the mercury 0, contained in a receptacle or crucible N, placedin said chamber.

The connections thus far described are permanent, so that a current passing through the main conductor will pass thence to the feeder-wire I, and thence, by means of suitable connections, to the motor on the car.

The chamber P may consist of a cast-iron box of suitable size and shape, but preferably square, and which may be bolted to the frame or side of the conduit. Fitted into the chamber P, through asuitable stufiing-box and gland, is a short tubular shaft or iron tube, which is adapted to rock upon a pivot, as at 1, Fig. 2, for a purpose to be described. This pivotal shaft or tube has suitably secured thereto within the chamber P a pipe-section or tube L, which projects upwardlyand above the erucible N. On the end of the tubularshaft, outside of the chamber P, is attached the hard wood or other suitable insulating trolley-sopporting arm R, which supports the metal contact or trolley wheel S. To the axle X of the contaet-wheel is secured an insulated wire, which extends through the tubular supporting-arm R into and through the tubular shaft, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and up through the pipe L, terminating in a bent end portion M, which is turned downwardly over the crucible N, so as to be readily dipped into the mercury therein. The wire M is held normally out of contact with the mercury by means of aspring 3,which connects the cham ber P with the projecting portion of the arm R, as shown in Fig. 2; but when the contactwheel is engaged by the skate T, the free end of the supporting-arm will be depressed, thereby, so as to dip the wire M into the mercury, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, and establish electrical connection between the main conductor and the connections leading to the wiring of the motor on the car. A flat springY is attached to the end of the axle X and bears against the outside of the contactwheel S, so as to insure electrical contact between the metal axle X, forming virtually a continuation of the wire M and the metal wheel S. It will thus be seen that the metal contact-wheels are the only exposed parts between the power-house and the motors on the cars in my improved system, and these parts are only exposed to the air during the period of electrical connection when contact is made with the mercury in crucible N by depressing the wire M, the spring 3 serving to break the connection immediately after the skate escapes from the contact-wheel on the passage of the car by raising the trolley-supporting arm and lifting the end of the wire M out of the mercury, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The contact-wire over the mercury in the contact-chamber P will ordinarily, when not in use, he suspended about two inches above the mercury, the spring 3 serving to maintain the arm in this position. To prevent any undue shock when the contact-wheel is released by the contact bar or skate I provide a stop Q, which is cushioned at its lower end, and against which the supporting-,arm strikes when released by the skate, the arm being drawn upward against the stop by the action of the spring Projecting downwardly from the car into the conduit are two thin steel plates V \V, to which is secured by bolts Z Z an insulating-strip V of any suitable material, preferably hard wood, which extends nearly the entire length of the skate-shaped contact-bar T, and provides insulation between the skate and the steel plates \V W, and also serves as a roof to protect the 0011- tact bar or skate T from rain, water, or mud, which drips down through the conduit-slot, said strip being of a width sut'fieient to proj ect over the bar T at either side thereof far enough to protect the same from such drippings. The under side of the strip V is grooved or concave, as shown in Fig. 2, for the purpose of maintaining a perfectly-dry surface adjacent to the bar '1, thereby insuring perfect insulation against grounds between the bar T and the steel plates in' the conduit-slot. The contact-bar T is sccurely bolted to the stripVat each end and is provided with a copper bolt U at or about the center thereof, which connects with a flat strip of insulated copper wire U, which extends upwardly between the bars W V and connects with the wiring of the motor on the car, so as to establish electrical connection with the motor when current is passing from the main conductor through the described connections in the contact-chamber and the wire in the tubular supporting-arm of the metal eontact-wheel to the skate.

It will, of course, be understood that when electrical connection is established between the main conductor and the car-motor the current will pass as usual through the carwiring to the trucks and through the wheels to the rails or other connections to the return conductor, and thence to the generator at the powerhouse.

For the purpose of passing curves the contact-wheels will be made about twice as long as the wheels in the straight portion of the track, so as to accommodate the sweep of the skate.

From the foregoing description the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

In a practical electric-railway system the distance between the contact-chambers and junction boxes or chambers may be varied to suit the requirements; but they are usually placed about twelve feet apart, and with such an arrangement the skate-shaped contact-bar is made about fourteen feet long, so that there will always be one or two of the contact-wheels 011 duty. When the car is moving, the contact-wheel through which the current is passing into the contact-bar is not released before the contact-bar makes contact with the wheel in advance, so that the current is always in contact with the skate depending from the car, whereby the motor-man may open and close the circuit at will by the usual operating appliances now in common use. I11 such a system, the current being supplied to a number of motors by the same positive wire and returned to the generator by the same negative wire or by the rails, the throwing out of contact of any of the motors will not affect the main current by breaking circuit in the contact-chamber, which lies in (as it were) only one branch of the many branches. which go to form a circuit between positive and negative conductors in multiple arc, and if the current does not find a leak to the ground between the main conductor and the motor there is no ground, or, as it is commonly termed, short circuit. The junction-box in the main conductor and the contact-chamber attached to the conduit being lined with heavy asbestus insulation, and the connecting-wires of the various parts being not only heavily insulated, but the insulation being also protected (in one case) by being inclosed in a pipe filled with insulating material and in the hard-wood su pporting-arm, (which is a good non-conductorif kept painted,) and the contact-bar being insulated from the steel plates by the hard-wood under grooved insulating-strip, and the copper strip passing up from the contactbar through heavy insulation, through the steel plates to the car-wiring, to the motor on the car, there is no possibility of a short circuit, and yet perfect electrical connection may be established between the motor on the car and the main supply-conductor, so as to supply current to the motor on the moving car. Over that portion of the track over which the car is passing there will of course always be the contactwheel borne down and exposed; but such exposure is simply to the atmosphere. and but for a moment, when it is pulled up by the spring and released from duty, and the mechanical connection between the motor on the car and the main conductor is made automatic, and yet so as to insure complete contact without burning, blistering, corrodin g, or wearing out the contact, as in previous systems, owing to the use of mercury in making the connection, and by the same means electrical connection is established between the feeder-wire and the main conductor-sections,

and the circuit may be readily broken by simply lifting the ends of the wire out of the mercury. This construction also affords an easy means of connecting and disconnecting the feeder-wire and theends of the main conductorsections, permitting them to be readily removed by simply lifting them out of the mercury in the junction-box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the main conductor, the feeder-wires extending therefrom at intervals along the line of said conductor, normally-open local-circuit connections correspondingly arranged along the line of said conductor, adapted when closed to take current through mercury in contact with said feeder-wires, and mechanism actuated by a moving car for making contact between said circuit connections and the mercury in contact with said feeder-wires, so as to automatically close the local circuits, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the main conductor having distributing-points arranged at intervals along the line thereof, of contactchambers containing mercury correspondingly arranged along the line of said conductor, feeders connecting said distributingpoints with the in eicu ry in said chambers, normally open local-circuit connections at said distributing-points adapted when closed to take current from the main conductor through the mercury in said contact-chal'nbers, and mechanism adapted to be actuated by a moving car, so as to automatically close said local circuits through the motor on the car by making contact with the mercury in said contactchambers, substantially as described.

3. In an electric railway, the combination, with the main conductor having a series of distributing-points arranged along the line thereof, of j unction-boxes containing mercury at said distributing-points, normally-open local-circuit connections correspondingly arranged along the line of said conductor, including contact-chambers containing mercury in contact with conductors connecting with the mercury in said junction-boxes, and mechanism actuated by the car for closing the 10- cal-circuit connections through the motor on the car by making contact between said circuit connections and the mercury in said contact-chambers, substantially as described.

4. A system of electric distribution comprising a main conductor having distributing points arranged at suitable distances apart throughout its length, normally-open localcircuit connections, including mercury, correspondingly arranged along the line of said conductor, branch conductors or feeders leading from said distributing-points to the mercury of said connections, and means for making contact with the mercury, so as to close the local circuits, substantially as described.

5. In an electric railway, an electric couductor composed of insulated sections having their adjacent end portions secured in close proximity within a sealed box or junctionchamber containing mercury, into which the free ends of the conductor-sections are dipped or immersed so as to establish electric connection through the mercury, substantially as described.

6. In an electric railway, an electric conductor composed of insulated sections having their adjacent end portions detachably secured in close proximity within a sealed box or junction-chamber containing mercury, into which the free ends of the conductor-sections are dipped or immersed so as to establish electric connection through the mercury,substantially as described.

7. In combination with the main conductor composed of sections having their adjacent end portions dipped in mercury contained within a sealed vessel or junction-box, the feeder-wire extending from adjacent local-oi rcuit connections into said box, and havingits free end dipped in the mercury therein, substantally as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination with the main conductor composed of sections having their adjacent end portions dipped in mercury contained within a sealed vessel or j unction-box, the re movable feeder-wire connecting the mercury in said chamber with mercury contained in a second sealed chamber, of a normally-open local circuit, substantially as described.

9. In combination with the sectional conduetor and the junction-chamber having the crucible of mercury therein, the contact-chamber provided with asimilar mercury-containing crucible, the feeder-wire connecting the mercury in said crucibles, connections normally out of contact with the mercury in said contact-chamber for conveying current therefrom to the car-motor, and means for closing the electric circuit from the main conductor through the mercury in said crucibles by making contact between said connections and the mercury in said contact-chamber, substantially as described.

10. In combination with the sectional conductor and the junction-chamber having the crucible of mercury therein, the contact-chamber provided with a similar mercury-containing crucible, the feeder-wire connecting the mercury in said crucibles, connections normally out of contact with the mercury in said contact-chamber for conveying current therefrom to the car-motor, and appliances for automatically closing the electric circuit through the mercury in said crucibles by the action of the car, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the main conductor having a series of distributing-points along the line thereof, of hermetically-sealed junction-boxes at said distributing-points, normally-open local circuits along the line of the railwayconnected with said distributing points by feeder-wires leadin g from said junction-boxes to similarly-sealed contact-chambers, and mechanism, substantially as described, for closing the local circuits through the motor on the car by the mechanical action of the car, substantially as described.

12. In combination with the contact bar or skate and its supporting-plates, the insulating-bar concaved or grooved on the lower side thereof and supported above the skate outof contact therewith, so as to provide adry surface adjacent to said skate and also form a roof or cover therefor, substantially as described.

13. In combination with the main sectional supply-conductor having the junction-chambers arranged at suitable distances apart along the line thereof, the contact-chambers similarly arranged along the line of the railway, feeder-wires connecting crucibles of mercury placed in said chambers and pivoted tubular arms inclosing wires having contactpoints held normally out of contact with the mercury in the contact-chambers and projecting therefrom beneath the slot in the conduit in position to be actuated by the depending plow or skate carried by the car, so as to close the local circuits through the wire in the said arms by causing the same to make contact with the mercury in the contact-chambers.

14. In combination with the main conductor, the contact-chamber containing a crucible of mercury, the feeder-wire leading from the main conductor into the mercury in said crucible, the pivoted arm carrying the insulated wire, having its free end held normally out of contact with the mercury in the contact-charm her by yielding spring-pressure, and the contact-wheel supported on said pivoted arm beneath the slot in the conduit in a position to be depressed by the action of a depending skate or plow carried by the car, so as to make contact between the wire of the contact-supporting arm and the mercury in the contactchamber.

15. I11 combination with the sealed eontactchamber, the pivoted contact-supporting arm, the innsnlated wire extending through the same to a position immediately above a crucible of mercury in said contact-chamber, and a spring adapted to hold the said arm in an elevated position with the wire thereof out of contact with the mercury in the contactchamber.

16. In combination with the pivoted springactuated contact-supporting arm, the cushioned stop adapted to limit the upward movement of said arm, substantially as described.

17. In combination with the pivoted insulating supporting-arm carrying the insulated contact-wire,the contact-wheel,and the spring at the end of the supporting-arm adapted to convey current from the metallic connections or axis of said supporting-arm to the contactplow through the metal contact-wheel, substantially as described.

18. In combination with the contact bar 01' skate, the insulating-bar attached thereto, the and said contact bar or skate, substantially steel plates secured to said insulating-bar, and the insulated wire inclosed between said plates, having its lower end projecting beneath the insulating-bar and attached to the skate, said insulating-bar being adapted to provide insulation between said steel plates as described.

JOHN 0. FYFEQ Attest:

W. J. WEEBER, T. E. MOKENNA. 

